Outdated Regulations Across Europe Hinder Appropriate Access to Opioid Medications for Pain
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=26118"Disparate and outdated Government policies and regulations on the use and prescription of opioids contribute to the inadequate treatment of pain across Europe, according to a new report, presented to the members of the European Parliament today.
The “White Paper on Opioids and Pain: A Pan-European Challenge”1 has been produced by the Opioids and Pain European Network of Minds (OPEN Minds) group, and provides an insight into the regulatory situation in 17 European countries which cause negative opinions and stigma of opioids.
The OPEN Minds White Paper reveals that, in every country in Europe, prescriptions for strong opioids must be filled in differently from those for other medicines. A large number of European countries demand strong opioid prescription forms are different to those for other medicines, and, in some cases, complicated triplicate forms must be filled in. In many countries, doctors must travel in person to regional offices to obtain the forms needed to prescribe strong opioids, and in some even pay for these forms themselves.
Even the language and terminology used to describe these medicines is negative in many European countries. For example, in Germany, the group of all narcotics including opioids are referred to as “Betäubungmitteln”, literally “the means to knock you out”, whilst in Austria, prescription forms are known as “Suchgiftrezepte”, or “addictive poison prescription forms”.
..."Health care just isn't perfect anywhere.
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